DORCHESTER, MASS. (WHDH) - A 17-year-old student was shot, reportedly by another student, outside the Jeremiah E. Burke High School in Dorchester on Tuesday, according to Boston Police.
Authorities said the alleged shooter, another 17-year-old, male student, was taken into custody, and that a firearm had been recovered.
“A description of the suspect was broadcasted,” said Boston Police Superintendent Felipe Colon. “Additional officers responding to the scene located an individual matching that description. That individual (was) positively ID’d as the suspect.”
Per the Boston Police Department, the school was in “safe mode” immediately after the incident, which is standard operating procedure in the event of an external threat.
Boston Public Schools’ website says that “safe mode” entails taking refuge in the nearest classroom, office or other room, locking all doors and windows, closing shades and turning off the lights. Students also must sit quietly on the floor away from windows and doors.
“I heard arguing and it sounded like it was going to be something,” said Jack Jackson, who lives near the school. “And then, I heard the three shots.”
Officials said the male victim was quickly hospitalized and in stable condition following the shooting.
Parents lined the block outside the school, waiting for updates on the safety of their children as Boston Police detectives searched the area for additional evidence.
A nearby worker said she saw some of the security footage police were working with on Tuesday, and that it showed the suspect running with the gun.
“(He) cocked the gun, like he’s prepping the gun to shoot,” she said. “This is nerve-wracking – are they coming back or is there more that’s going to go on? It’s constant battle and when you even hear a pop, you’re ducking down.”
A neighbor, who lives on Washington Street, said he first saw a large police presence down the road, then received an alert from his security cameras outside his home, alerting him to activity. When he went outside, he saw police in his backyard.
“There was a gun right here,” witness Robert Nicholls said. He added that he believes the gun was thrown over a nearby fence into his yard because none of his cameras picked up the actual alleged shooter.
Mayor Michelle Wu said that trauma support will be available for students in the wake of the shooting.
“We’re seeing too many guns in young people’s hands and right now, at the start of a school day, we’re seeing the terrible consequences,” Suffolk County DA Kevin Hayden said in a statement. “My heart is heavy for the victim and for everyone impacted.”
Boston Police tweeted that, due to ongoing police activity, Washington Street between Columbia Road and Blue Hill Avenue were closed during the investigation.
Burke High School is also the same school where a teen was stabbed last month. A 17-year-old boy from Randolph was arrested for the stabbing.
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